Long Walk Home
by Angelamermaid
Summary: Parentverse vision of Megan Hunt's rescue and return to Seattle. Each chapter told from the perspective of a different character.
1. Megan

For a long time, Megan believed that Owen would find her. Once she got the right information to the right person who knew the right people ... Owen would come. It was what kept her going, from refuge to refuge. Somehow, he would find her. He was her big brother and he would find her. That rat bastard Nathan had probably moved on, but Owen wouldn't give up on her.

And then she gave up on him. Too many years of hiding and traumatic encounters and near-starvation took its toll. She was gravely ill. And the political situation worsened beyond belief. It became more dangerous than ever for her to be discovered. So she found one last hiding place and prepared to die. Curled up in a cellar, hidden from the enemy, she felt foolish to think that she ever would escape this hell on earth and see her family again. She would just die and it would be over. She would be with her father again, at least.

But death didn't come. She had the vaguest images of soldiers with American flags on their uniforms. They didn't mistreat her, they picked her up so carefully. Then she was in a vehicle, and then an ambulance and a medical tent.

The next days were chaos. Barely alive, all Megan wanted to do was sleep. They had to insert a feeding tube because she was so weak. She was at some sort of base and many people in uniform had so many questions. A woman with a high-pitched voice seemed to be protecting her, letting her sleep. Megan learned her name was Dr April Kepner. Every time that Megan woke up, April told her that Owen was coming.

And then he was there. Older, sad and happy at the same time. Megan smiled at Owen and clutched his hands. Everything was going to be better because her big brother was with her.

There was a helicopter ride. Then an ambulance. Followed by an airplane. She didn't want to talk, just rest. Every time that Megan fell asleep, she was holding one of Owen's hands. Every time that she woke up, he was there. Bringing her water, fussing over her, making sure she was warm and comfortable. April was there as well, it turned out that she was a colleague of Owen's.

Owen pulled out a rectangular screen that he called an iPad. He showed her a video message from their mother. Evelyn was barely coherent as she wept and spoke. Owen held Megan's hand tight, then wiped away her tears.

He coughed and looked uncomfortable. "There's another message ... if you want to watch ... it's from Nathan."

"No." Megan closed her eyes. "I want to sleep."

"Okay."

Next, a military hospital. She felt well enough to start taking bites of food, but she was still weak. The people in scrubs, they frowned at her. She wasn't allowed to look at her own chart. All Owen would say was that she had more than one bacterial infection. In her weakened state, her body wasn't fighting hard enough. They wanted her to gain more strength before going home to Seattle.

April quiely approached Megan when Owen was out of the room. She was holding sheets of paper. "Nathan is a friend of mine and he has written some emails-"

"No." Megan shook her head and looked away. April quietly retreated.

On a day that Megan felt stronger, she sat up in bed, still holding Owen's hand. Megan looked at his left hand and raised her eyebrows.

"You're married." Her slim fingers touched his silver band. "I missed your wedding..."

Owen smiled, his blue eyes gentle and sad. "I can show you photos."

He pulled out the iPad and started thumbing through the screens. Then, proudly, he showed her a photo of an Asian woman.

"She's beautiful!" Megan smiled weakly.

"Her name is Cristina." Owen slowly scrolled through a few more photos and she watched. The way that his wife smiled at the camera ... at the man behind it ... Megan knew that her brother was happily married. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

Owen showed her another photo, this time of two little girls. One had black hair and one had red hair. Megan gasped. "Owen! You're a daddy!"

"Uh huh." He grinned from ear to ear. "This is Chloe and Mallory."

"I want to hear everything about them. Your wife, your daughters ..." She yawned.

"Later." Owen turned the screen off.

In the next few days, she learned everything she could about Owen's wife and children. Finally they left in an airplane. She woke up in a different hospital. Her mother was there, weeping and smiling and clasping her hand.

Megan knew that she should be feeling better than she actually was. But she wasn't. At least she was home – her mother had told her that she was in Seattle Grace. It had been a surprise when Owen appeared wearing scrubs. Her big brother was a civilian, and the Head of Trauma.

Her primary doctor was Miranda Bailey, who was very attentive and kind. After a flurry of tests, Dr Bailey brought in some infectious disease specialists who explained why her liver and kidneys were failing, in terrifying detail. Evelyn and Owen stayed with her afterwards, encouraging her to have faith.

"This isn't fair," Megan said. "I didn't lose all those years just to spend the rest of my life on dialysis."

The next day she woke up to see Owen standing by her bed with his wife.

"Hi." Sleepily, Megan extended her right hand.

"I'm glad to finally meet you." Cristina shook her hand. "I would have dropped by earlier but you've been so ill."

"As my new sister, I need to ask you something," Megan said. "Be completely honest."

"Okay." Cristina frowned.

Megan's hand went to her head. "How shitty does my hair look?"

Cristina smiled, knowingly. "It looks like crap."

"Your hair?" Owen was dumbfounded. " _That's_ what you're asking about?"

"I assume that I'm going to be meeting your daughters soon," Megan replied. "I don't want to scare them."

"I'm on it," Cristina promised.

That afternoon, Cristina brought in her friend, Dr Meredith Grey, and a young nurse named Kimmy.

After the introductions, Meredith turned to Cristina. "You're right, this is a hair disaster."

"How bad is it?" Megan winced.

Cristina handed her a mirror. Megan looked into it and gasped. She was too thin. Her skin was yellow. And her once lustrous hair was dry and patchy.

Cristina produced a plastic bag. "We have dry shampoo, a brush and comb, some scissors and lots of hair bands and clips."

"Kimmy is going to do the actual work," Meredith said. "She's got a YouTube channel on hair."

"What's a YouTube?"

Two hours later, Megan looked in the mirror again. Kimmy had given her a pixie cut. She was wearing a bright blue headband, to cover up the worst of the patches.

"Thanks for doing your best," she sighed.

"It will grow back and then I'll hate you for your flawless hair," Meredith said. "I've seen photos of you before."

"I can't wait." Megan yawned. "I don't mean to be rude but ..."

"But you need your sleep." The women quickly packed up their things as she drifted off to sleep.

Evelyn spent every day with her. Sadly, she didn't get to meet her nieces. Cristina explained that they had colds and couldn't visit Megan in her weakened and vulnerable position. Owen showed her more photos of them

A week later, Megan was nauseous and short of breath. Evelyn accompanied her as Dr Bailey put her through more testing. She got to meet more doctors, who were eager to meet her. She tried to remember their names. Derek Shepherd. Callie Torres. Richard Webber.

There was one doctor she refused to meet. Nathan Riggs. Owen had gently informed her that Nathan worked at Seattle Grace. Megan insisted that he not come near her.

ooOoo

One day Evelyn sat with Megan, giving her a manicure. They were passing time before hearing what Dr Bailey's new treatment plan was.

Megan watched her mother carefully. She had the feeling that something was being kept from her, but Evelyn wouldn't divulge any secrets.

Finally Dr Bailey entered, with Dr Grey and Dr Yang.

"We have a plan," Dr Grey informed Megan. "We propose a kidney and liver transplant which should be the boost your body needs to get well. Your current ones are failing."

"Oh." Megan blinked. "How long will it take to find donors?"

"It's been arranged," Meredith told her. "Owen is your living liver donor."

Moved, Megan couldn't say anything. Her eyes filled with tears.

Cristina smiled kindly. "He's in excellent health and can handle donating a portion to you. Promise me that you'll take good care of it."

"I will. But I also need a kidney donor..."

Dr Bailey cleared her throat. "We have a 'domino' plan. One of our doctors will donate a kidney to one of my patients, their sister will donate a kidney to Dr Grey's patient, and that patient's son will be your live kidney donor."

"Oh my God." Tears ran down Megan's face. "Have I met this doctor? Who is it?"

Evelyn and Cristina exchanged a long look. Bailey spoke. "His name is Nathan Riggs."

"No." Megan shook her head.

"Yes," Dr Bailey told her. "This is the best plan available. We tested your mother and she's not an ideal candidate to donate ..."

"He really wants to do it," Evelyn informed her. "He also said we should tell you that he's involved because you'd want to know."

"Damn straight I'd want to know!" Megan paused, feeling another wave of nausea. "Oh God, Nathan?"

"We're going to let you process this," Bailey said. "But you don't have much time. I've booked the surgeries two days from now." She turned and left with Dr Grey.

Cristina edged closer. "Nathan is very sorry about what happened."

"He asks about you several times a day," Evelyn added.

Megan looked at her mother. "So you talk with him? Do you know about the cheating?"

"Yes." Evelyn was sad. "He's ashamed of what happened. He apologized to me, for cheating on you and then losing you."

"If it helps, it took Owen months to talk to him in a civil manner," Cristina said.

"I can't do it." Megan laid her head back against her pillows. "What about UNOS? Can't I get the liver and be on dialysis?"

"You're at great risk for multiple organ failure," Cristina told her. "You need the kidney now. And it's not coming directly from him."

"I don't want him involved in my life in any way," Megan growled.

Evelyn squeezed her hand. "Megan, I can't lose you again. Think about it."

Megan looked at her moher. She sighed and nodded.

ooOoo

The next morning, Megan was in a foul mood. She refused to speak with anyone trying to talk her into the kidney transplant. She didn't want to owe _anything_ to Nathan.

Her back was to the door when she heard the voices of childen. Slowly, she rolled over.

Owen and Cristina were in the doorway, with two small figures. Their daughters were swaddled head to toe in surgical gowns, masks, and gloves.

"Hi!" The smallest child waved at her. That would be Mallory.

Megan smiled, the brightest since her rescue.

"We've wrapped them up like this because of germs," Owen informed her. "We wanted to show you why you should accept the kidney."

The older girl, Chloe, was staring at her with wide eyes. "Hi sweetie," Megan said. She turned away, shyly, and clung to her father's hand.

Cristina came closer, holding Mallory's hand. She lifted up the toddler so that Megan could see her better. Mallory reached out for her. "HI!"

Laughing and crying, Megan grabbed her gloved hands. "Hi Mallory!"

"That's her favorite word," Cristina smiled.

"Hi!" Megan marvelled at how wriggly and excited the little girl was. Her gloves and mask had been duct-taped to the little gown she was swaddled in. "You look like a surgeon!"

Mallory's brown eyes sparkled and she grinned behind her mask. Her tiny hands gripped Megan's tightly.

Owen murmured something into Chloe's ear before picking her up. Chloe looked at Megan.

"Hi Chloe. I'm very glad to meet you," Megan told her. "I hope that we can become friends."

Chloe's posture relaxed a little. "Hello."

"Hi!" Mallory shouted. One of her gloved hands reached for Megan's face. "Pretty lady."

"Oh thank you!" Megan chuckled. "Wow. I love you and I love your sister and we just met."

"I don't know if you like to play tea party, but Mallory does," Cristina said. "Chloe is all about Lego right now."

"I like Lego and tea parties!"

"Well, you can come over and play Lego and have tea, once you recover from your surgery," Owen told her.

Megan's smile dimmed and she looked away.

Owen looked at Cristina, who nodded. Owen placed Chloe on the floor, and Cristina led the girls out of the room. She closed the door behind them.

"When Nathan appeared in Seattle, I lost my temper just looking at him," Owen confided. "I punched him the first time I saw him speaking with Mom. Got suspended."

"Why is he here?"

"He was visiting April when Cristina needed to hire a cardio surgeon in a hurry. She had no idea that he was _the_ Nathan that had set your loss in motion. I was away at a conference and when I returned, the contract had been signed."

"I see."

"Crisina made me go back to therapy or she was going to lock me out of the house," Owen continued. "Nathan and I ... have found a peaceful middle ground."

"I waited so damn long for you to find me." She began to weep. "I kept thinking that I should have let him take the helicopter."

His large hands grasped her slim hands. "I'm so sorry that I didn't find you."

"I have had such hate in my heart for him. I want him to stay away from me as much as possible." She closed her eyes, tears running down her face.

Owen gripped her hands. "You're not getting his kidney. But he is willing to give up a body part so that you and two others can thrive. He's going ahead with the surgery even if you don't want to."

"Did he even care that I was gone?"

Silence. Megan finally opened her eyes and saw that Owen was crying too.

"I gave up looking for you before he did," her brother confessed.

Shocked, she pulled her hands back and stared at him.

"We searched everywhere. We pored over maps, trying to figure out how far the helicopter could have flown with the fuel it had. We tried to think of where the pilot might have tried to land if there was a mechanical issue, or a strike. And finally, I gave up. Went back on duty, survived an attack that killed everyone in my unit, was discharged honorably."

He looked sorrowful. She was reminded of their father, in those precious few weeks he had between his diagnosis and his death.

Owen continued. "I'm not saying that I know what you went through. I will never know that. But I know trauma. I didn't get help when I should have. I ... hurt Mom and I hurt Cristina..."

He wiped away his tears. "I got help and I _thrived_. I have an amazing wife and the best daughters I could ask for and now I have a second chance to be your brother. _Please_ take the kidney."

"Do you have your iPad with you?" Megan asked.

He blinked, surprised. "It's in my office."

"I want to see Nathan's video."

ooOoo

Standing in the attendings' lounge, Nathan stretched. The day had been spent going over his cases with residents and other attendings, since he was about to become a patient himself.

Owen entered the room and headed straight for him. His movements were so purposeful that Nathan briefly wondered if he was going to get punched again.

Instead the other man grabbed him in a tight embrace. "She's taking the kidney," Owen said. " _Thank you._ "

ooOoo

 _Two months later_

Owen opened the front door to his mother's house and his girls ran in, eagerly. "We're here!"

"Where's Auntie Megan?" Chloe asked Evelyn.

"Right here." Slowly, Megan entered the living room.

"You're not using your walker!" Owen grinned.

"Nope." She carefully sat down on the couch. Mallory immediately climbed onto her lap and kissed her cheek.

"Well, have fun. I'll be back after work for the girls." Owen hugged his mother before leaving.

Chloe sat down next to Megan and handed her a bag. "We got new books from the library."

"Great! We can start reading them after I have my breakfast." Megan looked up and frowned. Evelyn was looking at her strangely. "What?"

"I almost forgot what day it was," her mother said. "It's the anniversary of your accident."

Megan paused. Her recovery was in the early stages. Now that her body was able to fight infections, she was rebuilding her physical strength. Spending the occasional day with her nieces was the idea of her therapy team, to help her form new connections and rebuild trust.

And Nathan had visited her for the first time last week and that had not been awful.

"I forgot what the date was a long time ago," Megan admitted. "It was better to not think about how much time I was losing." She turned her attention to Mallory, who was tugging on her shirt. "Yes?"

"Play dolls?" The red-haired girl looked hopeful. Owen had brought her childhood toys down from the attic and the girls had plenty of play sessions with them.

"After breakfast. We have the whole day to play together!"

"And read," Chloe reminded her.

Megan laughed and put her arms around both girls. "Of course." Just for this day, she would stay in the present. In a world full of hope.

 **Author's Note. So I started writing this not long after Owen finally started talking about Megan on the show, and it's been heavily revised many times. I may have an entirely different idea on how to introduce Megan to the Parentverse after the season premiere, but I'm happy with this.**

 **I try to keep the Parentverse timeline aligned with the show timeline, which is why Diego isn't in the story. Not that the show timeline makes sense...**

 **Big thanks to Lovemesomeowen for the bad ass beta reading.**


	2. Cristina

It was a normal morning. Cristina spooned food into Mallory's open mouth while mentally going over her day's schedule. She could hear Owen in the kitchen, cleaning up. Chloe was almost finished eating her cereal, fastidiously not spilling any milk.

The doorbell rang. Owen called out "Got it!" while Mallory swallowed another spoonful of rice cereal. Cristina was still visualizing her valve replacement when Owen came to the dining room. Ashen.

"I need you," he said.

Cristina fed one more spoonful to Mallory then stood up. She followed him to the living room, where three people in uniform were waiting. An officer, a doctor, and a chaplain.

She sat and held Owen's hand while they told the most incredible story. US soldiers had found Megan Hunt, barely alive. _Alive_. She was at a field hospital.

Owen looked down at the floor. He was silent in the way that meant he was overwhelmed. She knew it well.

Cristina spoke first. "How do you know it's her?"

The officer spoke. "She identified herself to the troops and they've sent photos. Her commanding officer confirmed it was her."

The chaplain pulled out her iPad, touched it a few times, then handed it to Cristina.

She looked at the tablet and barely suppressed a gasp. The woman in the photo was thin and sallow. Her eyes were closed, she was in a hospital gown. Cristina noted the copper tones in the ragged hair, and the cheekbones that were like Owen's and the nose like Evelyn's.

"I've never met her ... but I think it could be Megan," she said. Owen lifted his head and looked at the photos. He winced.

"It's her." His voice was gruff. He grabbed the tablet and began to scroll through the photos.

"I'm done!" Chloe yelled from the dining room.

Cristina turned to the soldiers. "How long will it be before she can come home?"

The doctor cleared her throat. "It could take three to four weeks. She's fragile and the medics need to stabilize her before transporting her to the nearest base. Once she can fly, they'll move her to Germany for in-depth testing that they just can't do where she is."

The officer checked his phone. "Your colleague Dr. Kepner is in the area for a humanitarian mission, as you know. She heard the news and is on her way to your sister."

Cristina squeezed her husband's hand. "You should go too."

He lifted his head in surprise.

"Owen, she needs you. Yes, April will be there but she's never met her." She touched his chin. "Can you really wait a month to see her?"

He shook his head.

"Mommy!" Chloe called again. "DADDY!"

"I'm on it." Cristina stood and went to the girls. Mallory opened her mouth like a little bird when she saw her. Chloe pointed to her empty bowl.

"Good girl." Cristina helped Chloe out of her booster seat, then turned to Mallory. She quickly fed her two more spoonfuls.

"I pooped," Chloe informed her, gesturing to her bottom.

"Okay, okay," Cristina fed Mallory once more, then turned around. "Let's go get you changed."

As they passed through the living room, Owen was asking questions. She sighed. She knew that he needed to leave, for longer than he'd ever gone before, and she had to let him. He would go crazy waiting for Megan to arrive.

Within an hour, everything had changed. Cristina called Bailey and started the process of Owen's leave of absence. They loaded the girls into the minivan, and Cristina drove them to Evelyn so that Owen could break the news in person. He stared out of the passenger window, too distracted to drive, while the girls chattered in their seats. Cristina kept reaching out and touching his hand, trying to reassure him. She knew he was withdrawing deep into himself, as he did when confronted with trauma. She also knew that he needed to go into dangerous territory and bring his sister home.

Cristina sat by him and held his hand while Owen told Evelyn that their beloved Megan was alive. She kissed them both, hugged the girls, and then drove to work. The Cardio unit was full and she was needed. And she had to tell Nathan.

oOoOo

Her staff gathered for their daily briefing. Briskly, Cristina went over their cases, transferring some of her tasks to the residents, then ended the meeting. "Riggs, can I speak with you?"

Cristina and Nathan stepped into her cluttered office. She looked at him. He was a valuable member of her team. Despite Owen's outrage at his hiring, she placed her full trust in Nathan's abilities and had never been disappointed.

He looked quizzical. "You asked me to join you."

She nodded and stood a little straighter. "Three soldiers visited our house this morning. Megan has been found. She's alive."

Nathan stared at her for a long minute as emotions played out over his face. She waited for the initial shock to subside. He remained silent so she spoke again. "She's in poor health. April is in the area and will look after her until Owen can get there."

"Owen?" Nathan blinked. "I want to go, too."

She shook her head. "Only family can go."

"But I ..." He looked away, shaken.

"If you need to take the day off, I think that we can borrow some residents to handle your case load, I can certainly assist, and Watkins is ready to take the next step in surgery, he'd do well with your-"

" _Megan is alive?!_ " Nathan grinned from ear to ear. "That is fantastic news!"

Cristina smiled, briefly. "Yes, yes it is. She's safe and soon she'll have Owen there."

"Amazing!" His glee filled the small room. "I don't need the day off, I imagine you've got some adjustments to make. I'll pitch in, you can count on me. And tell me anything you can, _please_. When is she coming back to Seattle?"

"It could be weeks," Cristina informed him. "She needs to be stable to be moved. They don't have sophisticated scanning equipment where she is, so she'll go to Germany next for a proper examination."

"But she's alive!" Nathan laughed. "What a miracle!"

oOoOo

Two hours later, Meredith caught up with her. They sat in Cristina's office.

"I'll help you out as much as possible," her friend promised. "You were there for me with Derek in Washington, now I'm paying you back."

"Good, because I have no idea on how Owen runs the household," Cristina admitted.

"How is he, really?"

Cristina shrugged. "In shock. They showed us photos. She looks terrible." She sighed.

Meredith smiled sadly.

"I've heard so much about Megan," Cristina mused. "How strong and smart and funny she was – is. In photos and home videos, her personality just shone. I knew how much Evelyn and Owen loved and missed her. I never thought she was alive, to be honest. Mer, she could still die."

"Bailey is putting together a team as we speak," Meredith said. "She asked me to join as a general surgeon. We're going to give her the best care we can."

oOoOo

The next day, Cristina waited in their living room as Owen said goodbye. He was sad as he kissed each of their daughters, and promised that he would be back soon. Chloe was old enough to pick up on his emotions, and began to cry.

"I'm staying," Cristina promised her, gathering her into a hug. "Daddy will come back, he will. Grandma is going to come over for supper and JoJo and Robbie and Auntie Mer and Uncle Derek are going to spend more time with us."

A horn sounded from outside. Cristina squeezed Chloe before putting her down. Then Owen gathered her up in his arms and held her tight.

"You have to go," she murmured, pressed against his chest. "She needs you and you need to see her."

"Thank you for understanding."

Cristina raised her head for one last kiss. She tried to commit every detail to memory – the tenderness of his lips, the way his whiskers felt against her face, the warmth of his body next to hers. "You'd _better_ come back!"

oOoOo

That evening, Evelyn came over and prepared supper. Together, they looked at the first photos from April, who had reached Megan and was overseeing her care. Evelyn was silent, her lips pressed firmly together.

Later, Evelyn gave Mallory a bottle while Cristina bathed Chloe. After Chloe was tucked into her toddler bed, Cristina found Evelyn standing by the crib. Her eyes were on Mallory.

Cristina quietly joined her in the dim light of the nursery. She placed her hand on Evelyn's, as it gripped the crib.

Evelyn spoke, quietly. "When she's awake, Mallory doesn't look like Megan. Her eyes are so different, and of course her personality is her own, she's always been Mallory to me." She gently touched Mallory's red curls. "But when she's asleep ..."

Cristina stood there and held Evelyn's hand as she finally let her tears fall.

oOoOo

New photos and emails came from Owen, so far away. Cristina forwarded some of the information to Bailey, who was in the process of developing Megan's team and preliminary treatment plan.

In the privacy of her office, she showed a few photos to Nathan. It was the first time that she had ever seen him cry. Quietly, she sat with him until he could pull himself together.

"Thank you," he said, wiping his eyes one last time. "She's so unwell. But she's alive. She's alive."

"Evelyn is coming over tonight so I can record a video for Megan," Cristina confided. "Do you want to send a message too?"

"Yes, yes, I want to do that."

oOoOo

Early the next morning, Cristina talked with Owen while she was still in bed. His voice was buoyant and he sounded happier than she expected.

"It's really her," Owen said. "She recognized me, she made fun of how pale I am."

Cristina chuckled.

"She's in terrible health, but her spirit is as strong as ever." She could hear the relief in his voice. "She spends most of her time asleep, I don't think she realizes how sick she is. They're moving us to another base tomorrow, and once she gets more strength, Germany."

oOoOo

After more medical data had come in, Bailey assembled her team in a conference room. Cristina was invited to sit in as the family's representative. She sat down beside Meredith, and looked around the room. She recognized the chaplain and the doctor that had been at their house.

Bailey introduced each member and their role. Some of the doctors were in different parts of the world and were speaking by Skype. They would come to Seattle when Megan did.

"You may have wondered why a civilian hospital will be treating the patient," Bailey said. "And you have probably noticed that every one of you is female."

Cristina tensed. Meredith grabbed her hand.

"Dr. Kepner has observed that the patient can be distressed when she sees certain men in combat uniform," Bailey reported. "Her blood pressure rises which is very dangerous in her current condition. We don't know what happened to her after she was abducted but we need to be realistic that it wasn't pretty. That's why we have trauma therapists on the team. In the meantime, everyone who comes near the patient wears scrubs or civilian clothing. The team in Germany will follow the same protocol. We don't know what triggers the patient and we need to minimize her stress levels. She's wounded and the preliminary bloodwork is not good. Which we will now be reviewing..."

After the meeting, Cristina checked her voicemails, then carefully avoided Nathan as she headed towards the nearest staircase. Once she was standing over the vent, she willed herself to relax. She tried to remember all of the pleasurable memories from this space, but instead her mind went to Megan and everything she had just learned. Her imagination suggested some truly dark scenarios. She stayed on the vent until she could breathe easily, and went back to her patients.

oOoOo

"She didn't want to see my video?" Nathan was incredulous. He began to pace around Cristina's office. "Did she say why?"

Cristina shrugged. "She's fragile. She can barely stay awake. Maybe she just wants to wait."

"Are you sure Owen told her I recorded one?"

"Hey!" Cristina frowned at him. "He's made his peace with you. If he says he told her, then he told her. He's not a liar."

"I'm sorry," the other man said, running one hand through his hair. "I just ..."

"...You just still have feelings for her," Cristina said. "I know."

He sighed. "I want her to know how terrible I feel ... I feel sick that I gave up searching for her..."

"And so does Owen." Cristina nodded. "Why don't you come over tonight for supper? I think Evelyn is making her famous pork chops."

oOoOo

Owen's phone calls now came from Germany. Megan was getting stronger, she had learned that he was married and had children. Cristina sent some new photos and videos for him to show her. Despite the difference in time zones, they found ways to talk every day. She kept him up to date on their daughters and Evelyn. After hearing that Megan refused to read Nathan's emails, Cristina became more cautious about what she shared with him.

Every night, she slept in one of Owen's t-shirts. When they stopped smelling like him, she chose a new one.

oOoOo

After three weeks on her own, Cristina felt more admiration for every single parent she knew. Evelyn and her friends were over all the time, eager to help. But ultimately Cristina was responsible for their daughters and the household. She kept the girls fed and bathed. Owen had set up all of the bills to be automatically paid, so that was one detail she didn't need to worry about. Still, she was tripping over dirty laundry and toys and all of the houseplants died.

One night, she came home to Evelyn putting away clean laundry in the master bedroom. "I see you like to wear Owen's shirts for bed," her mother-in-law lightly observed. "I did the same with Malcolm's clothes. They smelled like him."

Cristina sat down on the bed. "How did you do it? He was gone for months, and there was no e-mail or videos back then. Was he able to call you?"

"Barely." Evelyn placed the last clean shirt in the dresser. "He called about once every three weeks, for 15 minutes at a time, with a line of soldiers waiting their turn and listening in. So we wrote letters."

Her blue eyes glowed at the memory. "We sent ... _passionate_ ... letters. We talked about the kids and we kept the flames of love going."

"Evelyn!" Cristina cackled. "Is that where your love of writing came from?"

"Perhaps." Her mother-in-law grinned. "Megan found the letters once, they're stored in a trunk in the attic. She told me they would make a good book."

"Then write one!"

"Perhaps I will, when ... " Evelyn suddenly sat down next to Cristina. "I can't plan on anything. I don't know what Megan is going to need. I'm going to be by her side as much as I can, for as long as she needs me. I can't plan on anything but taking care of my girl."

Cristina grasped her hand. "I'm very grateful that you've been here for us. It helps the girls to have you here, when Owen is away."

Evelyn nodded. "By the way, I started potty training Chloe today."

"You what?"

"She was ready. I gave her some M&M's for pooping, you should pick some more up tomorrow. Great motivation."

oOoOo

"She started potty training without me?" Owen sounded so dejected, it was comical.

"You'll come home to less diapers," Cristina promised. They were speaking on Bluetooth while she was on her way to work. "That's something to look forward to."

"But it's a milestone." He sighed. "I'm missing a milestone."

"She is so proud of herself that she insists someone watches her _every single time_ that she uses the potty," Cristina said. "You can watch her pee and poop all that you want."

He laughed.

Cristina pulled into the staff parking lot. "How is Megan?"

"As well as she can be. We're still scheduled to leave tomorrow."

"Good." She lowered her voice until it was husky. "Because I have missed you and I am going to welcome you home in the very best way."

"Like you wrote in your last email?" He chuckled. "That was very, very racy. You're a dirty girl, Cristina."

"Just wait," she grinned. "Waaaaiiit."

oOoOo

Finally, her husband returned to Seattle. Owen accompanied Megan to Seattle Grace, where Evelyn was waiting. Derek drove him home, and he bounded inside, scooping up Cristina and the girls in a giant hug. That night, after the girls went to bed with extra hugs and kisses, Cristina made good on her promises to welcome him home. He slept for twelve hours afterwards.

oOoOo

At the hospital, Cristina peeked in on Megan but kept her distance. Her sister-in-law was still gravely ill and at risk of infection. Contact was limited to immediate family and her treatment team.

It drove Nathan crazy to be kept away. He'd written emails that Megan refused to read. She was very clear that she didn't want to see him or talk to him. Nathan respected her wishes but begged Cristina to keep him up to date.

A couple of weeks went by before Cristina was finally introduced to her sister-in-law. Megan was able to sit up in bed now. Her hair was patchy and dry, and her skin was still sallow. To her great surprise, Megan was eager to be sisters. It was even more surprising how quickly they bonded. Cristina admired Megan's vibrant personality and was moved by how much Megan needed someone to be her person. She was also amused to see how much of the Hunt stubbornness was in Megan. In particular, she refused to see Nathan.

"I respect your wishes," Cristina informed Megan. "But he's not backing off. He's asking for a current photo of you-"

"No." Megan crossed her arms in front of her. "Tell me about my nieces. Are they still sick?"

Cristina nodded. Both girls had picked up a virus from daycare and could not visit. "I know that you want to meet them, but Megan, you are too vulnerable right now."

Wearily, Megan nodded.

oOoOo

Megan's health remained poor. The treatment team recommended a liver and kidney transplant. Owen and Evelyn immediately volunteered to be donors. Owen was in good health and was cleared to donate a potion of his liver. To her great disappointment, Evelyn was ruled out as a kidney donor.

Charmed by Megan, many of the Seattle Grace staff underwent testing, and Bailey began the process of a domino plan. Meredith and Bailey found kidney donors among the relatives of their patients. The final donor in the plan turned out to be Nathan. He wouldn't be directly donating to Megan but said he would do anything to help.

Stubbornly, Megan didn't want to take part in the domino plan. Devastated, Evelyn could barely eat. Bailey arranged for the family to have a video conference with one of the trauma specialists.

"It sounds like she's exerting what little control she has," the expert said. "We still don't know much of what happened to her, and the key word is 'to'. She's still too weak to get out of bed, much less resume an independent life. So, she's making a choice."

"She just doesn't know how sick she is," Evelyn said. "Maybe if she understood..."

"I wish she would talk with Nathan," Cristina said. "If she knew-"

"Not happening." Owen said. "The more we talk about him, the more stubborn she becomes."

"Like a true Hunt." Cristina sighed. She thought about Megan, her new sister that she was very fond of. Who was just as stubborn as Owen and Evelyn and Cristina and Chloe and Mallory ...

Her eyes lit up. "The girls. The girls!"

"What about them?" Owen frowned.

"She wants to meet them and they're over their colds now!" Cristina snapped her fingers. "Let's bring them in so she can see them and be motivated to take the liver and kidney. We'll bribe her with her nieces. I'm sure they'll love her, too."

The plan worked. Megan consented to the life-changing operation. Soon, her health was vastly improved, enough that she started trauma therapy. The treatment team recommended that they try to make life as normal as possible. One day, Chloe and Mallory were brought in for a play date. Cristina gave the girls a new book and toys to share with Megan, so that they wouldn't bring their germy things from home. She sat outside the office during the appointed hour, and worked on her laptop. It made her smile to hear Mallory's giggles and Chloe's voice through the door.

It was when the hour ended that Megan began to crack. She started sobbing while saying goodbye to her nieces. Hastily, Cristina asked a nurse to watch the girls outside, then re-entered the therapist's office. Megan was collapsed on the floor, holding the hand of her therapist. Cristina crouched down beside her and suddenly Megan was clinging to her for support. Puzzled, Cristina sat down and let her cry, as the therapist spoke soothingly.

Tentatively, Cristina began to stroke Megan's hair. She realized how much she had come to love her, and to see her in such pain was upsetting.

Finally, Megan found the strength to speak. "I had a son," she confessed.

Cristina's heart sank. Nobody knew much about what had happened to Megan, they didn't want to stress her too much while she recovered.

Megan must have sensed what Cristina was thinking. "Not like that," she said. "I didn't give birth to him. I knew his parents and they were killed so I adopted him. Not legally, but with every fibre of my being."

Slowly, she shared some of her secrets. She told them about taking Farouk into hiding with her. How they had ended up with a tribe deep in the mountains, living as goatherders. Megan was able to use her medical background to treat her new friends and their allies, and there had been a time of peace, hidden away from the wars.

Until word got out about an American doctor in the area, and enemy forces began to move in, seeking to capture her. Megan sobbed again as she told them about leaving Farouk with the tribe, for his own safety. She left the one place where she had been happy, to protect him.

"So ... he's still there?" The therapist asked.

She shook her head. "I heard that the tribe was bombed. There were no survivors."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you for letting the girls play with me," Megan mumbled. "I know it must seem silly-"

"Not at all," Cristina said. She continued to stroke Megan's hair. "They like you, you know. Mallory is always asking when they can see you. Chloe and Owen pray for you to get better every night before bed."

"Really?" Megan smiled a little.

"Yes. And maybe I like dropping by and listening to your childhood stories that make Owen blush."

Even the therapist laughed at that one.

"And someday soon you'll leave the hospital and go home and eat your mom's cooking and you can babysit as much as you like."

"Thank you," Megan whispered. "Thank you for being my sister." She still clung to Cristina's lab coat.

"My pleasure." Cristina turned her eyes to the therapist, who was still holding Megan's hand. The two women shared a look of understanding. Megan had just made an important step in her recovery, and she had a long way to go.

To be continued!


End file.
